Deion: Cowboys' Secondary Not Aggressive Enough

According to Deion Sanders, the Cowboys' defensive backs played "not to get beat" in 2011

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Deion Sanders has a theory as to why the Dallas Cowboys’ secondary might have been so bad in 2011.

Sanders, who won a Super Bowl with the Cowboys back in 1996, believes that the secondary was playing not to lose, rather than playing to win; playing not to get beat, rather than playing to beat the other guy. And they were beat a lot through last season, to be sure, as evidenced by secondary coach Dave Campo being let go at season’s end.

"[The Cowboys] cornerbacks play not to get beat,” Sanders said on ESPN Radio’s Ben & Skin Show this week, via the Dallas Morning News. “But they're paid to make plays, even though they're always trying to make sure they don't get beat, and that's a problem.

“To me, I need a cornerback to make plays, but they instead play careful, cautious and don't make plays. No one is saying 'I'm going out there and dominate this guy -- like Calvin Johnson.' Nobody says, 'I got Calvin Johnson,' instead of having three guys covering one guy."